$420K to target Indigenous dental woes

The Federal Government has announced $420,000 to address poor dental health among Aboriginal people in central Australia.

Dental health among Aboriginal children is far poorer than the Australian average.

Last year, the national health statistics body said five in every six remote Northern Territory children had tooth decay, missing teeth or fillings - a much higher rate than the national equivalent.

Today, Indigenous Health Minister Warren Snowdon has announced $276,000 to replace a mobile dental van that has done hundreds of thousands of kilometres on dusty, remote dirt roads in the past 17 years.

The Government is also launching new mobile dental equipment, to service about 3,000 people living in the APY Lands in South Australia's far north.